The Kennet and Avon Canal, Thatcham

In 1990-96 I lived a 5 minute walk from the section of the Kennet and Avon Canal to the West of the railway station in Thatcham. This section was also covered on the TAA permit. It was ideally placed for short sessions, especially on summer evenings. As I was living on my own at this time, it meant that my tackle was kept in the front room in a state of readiness and I would return home from work and head straight out the door to the canal. And I kept my maggots where ever I liked

My usual habit was to fish on the South bank of the concrete foundation of the Monkey Marsh swing bridge, and use one of the mooring bollards to attach the keep net, and sit on the concrete with legs dangling over the edge. I'd fish a small stick (for the slow flow), with a size 18, 2lb bottom and a single maggot. Size 16 and double maggot sometimes. I'd over fish about 1 inch or so. Simple but effective. Initially I used my 13ft float rod, but moved to a pole rig, which was less trouble. Most evening sessions would start slowly and you would build a mixed bag of dace, roach and the occasional gudgeon and as the light fell and the tench came down the canal from the reed beds between here and Widmead Lock, you would start to catch those as well.

The picture on the left shows an evening's work. I think that this one bag was caught by fishing on after dark with a betalight 3BB antenna, on a 3lb b/s pole rig. The tench on the far left of the net came out in the state shown and had old scars on it's back and a misshapen tail (but was otherwise well), I would speculate a collision with a boat. Even a slow evening would give you a roach collection as shown in the picture at the bottom of the page.

I would occasionally fish the South bank at Monkey Marsh lock, which was also good for tench, my biggest canal tench at a shade over 4lb came from here, fishing against the concrete on the North Bank. The increasing popularity of the tow path for walking ushered me to the swing bridge, where I could fish in peace under my own feet.

The real attraction for me, was the calm of the spot by the swing bridge, as most evenings a mist would rise from the fields behind me and towards Chamberhouse Farm to the South, as the (rather deteriorated) picture here shows. The fields were lower than the canal and often the mist would rise to the point where you felt as if you might step onto the top of the gently moving mist and walk across to the hedge top in the distance. Deer would appear, although would never cross the bridge with me there. Bats would swerve around in the gloom and in those days I could hear their chirping, their radars' accuracy advertised by the sudden darts to miss the line or rod tip, or even a float in mid cast.

On one evening, I watched a wall of mist roll down the canal itself towards me and expecting to be engulfed, was surprised to see threads of mist cover the water (and my float) and after a few minutes I found myself watching a stream of mist, which rose until the bridge and the hedge on the far bank were gray ghosts. Fishing was off and that part of the brain that evolved to protect you from larger animals that ate you in pre-history, starts reminding you home is a really pleasant place. So although you KNOW there is nothing to be concerned about, you pack up with care, and saunter in a relaxed way back along the path in the mist and failing light. After all, the rustlings and shadows are only mist and small animals in the hedge. Obviously.

There was a good head of pike in the canal, and I got into the habit of taking a few sprats, seldom went home without a pike to add to the bag. I suspect the one in the picture was caught several times by me. I would also occasionally walk up the canal in the late evening with a spinning rod, and caught plenty of small jack, and a couple of 1lb + perch on small spinners, mostly Droppen lures. I think with hindsight, I could have spent more time piking especially by the reed beds, but hindsight is not a great gift in this instance. On a few occasions I fished a whole day up and down the canal with worms ands spinners, as far as Widmead Lock with mixed results, never blanking completely, with one notable bag recorded here.

I miss the early morning and late evening canal sessions and the few pictures below were taken at dawn during the Summer of 1992 and for me convey the atmosphere of the venue, despite some rather iffy negatives.

Left to right top row; a good evening's tench and roach bag, a bag of roach, Monkey Marsh swing bridge, looking up-stream, Monkey Marsh Lock, looking down-stream.

Left to right bottom row;

A small pike caught at Monkey Marsh swing bridge,

Monkey Marsh Lock looking upstream.